Collapsible drawing table



June 15, 1931. QUIRING 1,810,575

I I COLLAPSIBLE DRAWING TABLE Filed June12, 1929 4. Sheets-Sheet l IN ZNTOR.

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ATTORNEY June 16, 1931. K, QUIRING COLLAPSIBLE DRAWING TABLE Filed June12. 19 29 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' 55 ME .JMIE 54 IN V EN TOR.

M MM A TTORNE Y June 16, 1931. K. QUIRING COLLAPSIBLE DRAWING TABLEFiled June 12, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 n wwwwmwm lllll I INVENTOR.

BY j

mg M ATTORNEY June 16, 1931. K. QUIRING 1,810,575

COLLAPSIBLE DRAWING TABLE 7 Filed June 12, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY 30 features of advantage,

Patented June 16, 1931 UNIT E; 7 STA nonnnmus QUIBING, or OAKLAND;camronnm COLLAPSIBLE DRAWING TABLE,

Application filed June is, 19%;). Serial N0, 370,447.

The invention relates to' a collapsible table 10 vide a table of theclass described with auxiliary'shelves and supports whereby tofacilitate and amplify its use.

A further object to provide drawer means in the structure.

Yet another objectof so mount and relatethe various elements of thestructure that it'may be folded as a unit tov provide a particularly"compact assembly. A more specific object of the invention'is 20 toprovide an improved the invention is to adjustable and collapsible frame7 for mounting a drawing board and the like.

A more general object of the invention is to bring about anewcombination and cor- 2 relation of-parts in a device of the classdescribed whereby'marked economies in nianufact'ure will be effected andtheefficiency of the use of the device willbe enhanced.

The invention" possesses other objects Y and some of which, with theforegoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following descriptionof a preferred form of the invention whichis illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in

33 which Figure 1 is a -front elevati on 'of table embodying theinvention and 1n set-up posltion, portions of the structure being brokenaway to disclose certaindetai-ls thereof; 2-2 inFig- =4 Figure 2 s aside section at,

urel. 7 I

Figure 8 1s asideelevation of the table in folded condition. Figure 4 isan Figure'5-is a plan section at 55 in Figure L l 1 g Figure 6 isa'section at 6 -6 in'Figure 5 Figure? is an enlarged face view of a pon-50 tion of the showing-of Figure 2.

spe'ctively.

v enlarged face View of a'por 45 tion of the structure shown'in Figure3.

:Figure 8 is a plan Figure 9' is vation of a shelf hinge shown detached.

and it taken at 9-9 in Figureil, a hinge view at 8 8 in Figure'7. anenlarged fragmentary 'eles mounting leafbeing f Figure 10 is anelevation taken at 1O--10 in Figure 9.

Figure 11is anenlarged fragmentary section at 11-11 in Figure 1.

perspective View of the board also being show and shows the auxiliary bV mounted thereon,

oard. of Figure 12 Figure12'is an underneath fragmentary an auxiliaryboard mounting on thetable, attaching means for for ' Figure 14 isanenlarged fragmentary section atll l l'inFigure 13. V

Figure 15 is an enlarged fragmentary section at'15 15.inFigure;13.

' As herewith particularly disclo vention, is seen to sed, the inbeincorporated in and with the structure of a drawingtable 16;

Laterally spaced side members 1 nected by cross members 19, 2O and21,cooperate to provide an, integral back unit 22 with the lower ends of 18constituting the back of the table frame, the members 17 and and 18 convrs PATENT OFFICE f the table,

table legs. Similar brackets 23 and 24am 7 mounted members Leg members25 and 25 hinges 26, and

As shown,

bers. by means of tively. Casters on the upper portions 'of the side 717 and 18 respectively, extending forwardly from the said brackets backunit 22. l V I are pivoted to the brackets 23 and 2& respectivelybymeans'of link bars 27 connect; intermewith lower the link bars 27 arepivotally secured to the legs and framememhinges28 and 29 respec- 30 arepreferably provided on the lower'ends of the legs 25 and 25, forengagement along table as shown,

roller type with their axes of rotation parallel-to theplaneof member 31connects cent their free ends whereby rangedto cooperatively de the backunit 22. A tie the'legs 25 and 25 adjathe legs are arlane and to asurface-supporting the the casters-30, are of the unit 22 may be adjustably and positively controlled. Means are provided for retaining thebrackets 23 and 24 for movement in fixed paths along the members 17 and18, and for fixing said brackets in adjusted position, the structureshown being hereinafter described in detail. The back frame unit 22 ispreferably arranged to retain a fixed angular relation to a planesupporting surface when the present table structure is set up thereon,and in the present instance is arranged to be and remain perpendicularto-such a supporting surface as the legs 25 and 25 arevariouslydisposed. For satisfying the latter condition, the linkage provided bythe links 27 V is such that the floor engaging portions of as shown insecond extended position of the casters are confinedto movement in aplane extending forwardly from the foot of the back frame unit 22 andperpendicular to'the plane thereof. In'this manner, the legs and 25 maybe disposed parallel to and against themembers 17 and 18 respectively,

Figure 3 wherein the table is disclosed in folded-up condition, orextended as shown in Figures 2 and 13,"i't being noted that the legs '25and 25 function as supporting elements of the table structure in arelatively large range of angular positions thereof. For bringing outthe foregoing relation, a

the legs and associated elements is indicated in dotted lines in Figure2.

The folding frame now described is arranged for the support of a tabletop, or board, 32 in angularly adjusted position. Theback edge of thetop 32 is hingedly related to and carried by the brackets 23 and 24 bymeans of-hinges 33 secured to the top and said brackets. Support of thetop'32 at the front thereof is provided by means of struts 34 hinged tothe front portion of the top and at opposite sides thereof and havingthe lower ends thereof arranged for a footing on the legs 25 and 25. Asshown, the struts 34 are arranged for swinging about aligned axes inplanes ust inside of the planes of movement of the legs and parallelthereto, and are provided withpins 35 extending laterally "therefrom forengaging a selected one of notches or recesses '36 provided along theforward leg eclges. A tie member 37 se cures the struts 34togetherwhereby they define apla'ne parallel to their axis of hinging, said tiememberybeing'somewhat above the free'strnt'extremitiesto leave leg roomtherebeneath.

It will now 'be clear that two adjustments are :provided for the top 32,namely, the

bottom face of the top person using-the table.

liked to :the members 17 general height adjustment provided throughvarying the elevations of the brackets 23 and 24, and the slopeadjustment made possible through the engagement of the free ends of thestruts 34 in different of the recesses 36, such adj ustability of thetop 32 being an important element of the present invention. The pivotalaxis of the top 32 with respect to the brackets is seen to lie at orbelow the whereby the latter may be folded flat against the upper endsof the legs 25 and 26 while the struts 34 are extended upwardly andbetween the said legs. In this manner, the top is arranged to be foldedinto parallel relation with the legs and back unit without requiring itsdis- 'mounting.

As particularly shown, the recesses 36 comprise the notches of metallicrack bar memhers-38 fixed to the outer edges of the legs 25 and 25, andthe lower ends of the members 38 are seen to provide brackets 39 to andbetween which afoot rail 41 is secured for the use of a In the presentembodiment, the top and the various leg, strut and tie elementshereinbefore described are arranged to be formedof wood, but it will beobvious that some or all of the same might be made of metal withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention.

The brackets23 and 24 are of similar and complementary structure formounting on the back frame members 17 and 18 respectively. By particularreference to Figures 4 to 8 inclusive, each of said brackets is seen tocoinprise a generally triangular plate 42 for disposal in a planeperpendicular to that of the back rame unit 22, said plate-havingperpendicularly related top and rear edges. A flange is providedperipherally about the plate, said flange extending transversely. of theplate and, in the present instance, inwardly of the adjacent table sideedge. A'slide block 44 is provided'at and along the verticalflangeportion 45, said block being provided with a groove 46 openingfrom the rearward side of the block, the groove being rectangu'larlywidened at its bottom. Flat bars 47 are fixed to and along the'backframe members 17 and 18 in spaced relation therefrom and in m'utuallyparallel "relation, said bars being slidably engageable in the widerbottom portions of the grooves 46 of the o )posed blocks 44 whereby alateral separation of the blocks and bars is prevented and relativelongitudinal sliding of the engaged blocks and bars is permitted. In thepresent instance, the bars 47 are seen to be mounted on spacer posts 50and 18 whereby the weight of the parts is minimized. It is noted thatthe blocks 44 form parts of bracket structures which may properly betermed slides or slidebrackets. 7

eans are provided for disposing and securing the slide brackets 23 and24 in corresponding adjusted positions; -As shown, a shaft 48 isjournalled through and between the slide plates 42, said shaft beingprovided with a hand crank 49 at one end thereof and carrying likepinions 51 fixed thereto at points opposite the slide grooves 46. Theouter faces of the bars 47 are formed to provide racks 52 and the blocks44 andbracket flange portions 45 are in each case perforated betweensaid .rack and the opposed pinion 51 whereby the pinions are arranged toengage the racks. In this manner, a turning of the crank 49 to rotatethe shaft 48 is arranged to simultaneously raise or lower theslidesinlike amount for adjusting the height of the back edge of the supportedtop board 32 or a complete rais ing for :efiecting a folding up of thetable.

The legzhinges 2,6 and board hinges 33 are seen to have the fixed leavesthereof secured to and against the obliquely disposed forward flangeportion 53 of the plate 42 at appropriate points thereof. The topflangeportions 54 of the plates 42 are arranged tocooperatively supporta'fshel-fmember 55 mounted thereon and preferably extend from therearward edge of'the board 32 to the back plane of the unit 22. Forsupporting the rear edge of the shelf 55, the flanges54 are seen to beextended ,rearwardly along the inner sides of the supflanges 57 portmembers 17 and 18 and the extensions thereof are reinforced by means ofa vertical web 56 integrally connecting-their outer edges with the inneredges of the vertical flange portions 45. "The shelf 5'5 is designed forsup porting tools, ink, andthe like and is preferably provided withupwardly extending and 58 at the'front and rear thereof the shelf forretaming such articles thereon,

thus constituting a shallow trough. noted that the flange .57 isparticularly important as a means for keeping articles from the shelfout ofthe V-shaped groove defined between the top and shelf at theirabutment.

Brackets 61 extend upwardly from the top ends of the members 17 and 18and carry between them a pane 62 0f transparent glassor the like.Preferably, and as shown, the lower edge of the pane member beinggrooved slightly to receive the pane, and being provided. at its forwardtop portion with a pencil groove 63. The pane 62 slopes backwardlyfromthe groove of the member. 19 and isseen to provide, either alone orin cooperation with the grooves of the-tie member 19, a convenientmounting for sketches and transparent celluloid triangles and curves,yet offers no shadow on the board when interposed between the board andthe li ht.

In the use of drawing tables of the type described, more table andstorage space is he quentlyneeded than1s supplied by thetable top. 1, 2,3 and 13, I provide the present structure means of hmgesswingingbetwe'en a .ly extended pos tion upwardly to an upright positionentirely between the members 17 and 18. Support for ,to points onforwardly of the shelf 65, folded.- Support strutends and shelf It is 62registers with thetop .of the upper back frame tie member 19, saidAccordingly, and as shown in Figures .with added shelf p space to morethan double the area .of support provided by :the top 32 and shelf 55.As particularly shown, said additional shelf spaceis provided by upperand lower shelves 64 and 65 displaceably supported from the back frameunit 22 and beneath the top 32. Theshelf (iii-extends between the backframe members 17 and 18-and jis hinged to the lower tie member 21" by 66whereby it is'arranged for horizontal and forwardthe outerend of theshelf 65 is provided by chains 67 extending therefromwhen in saidupright position.

Theupper shelf 64 is seen to also swing between the members 17 and ,18as well asbetween the legs25 and 26 andbetween the bars 27. Hinges 68connect the rear part .of the shelf 64 with the inner sides of themembers 17 and 18,. and the shelf 64 is arranged to be swung downwardlyto lie between and forwardly oflthemembers 17 and 18, and when the tableis of the forward edge ofztho shelf-64 is afforded by means of struts 71hinged theretoand engaging on the front portionof the-shelf 65."Preferably the lower the members 17 and 18 above the {points thereof-towhich the shelf extends are provided with'cooperating pin-andesocketconnections for preventing a lateral displacementof the strut bottom,this structure being disclosedin detail in Figure 11 wherein pins 72 andsockets 7 3 are shown as provided respectively on and in the shelf 65and struts. The hinges 74 of the struts 71 arepreferablyof thetriple-leaf type and'are so connected between the shelf and struts astopermit a slight lifting of the shelf without releasing the other fromtheir engagement withthe shelf 65, such fleeing indicated in Figure13.",When

the table is folded, ,thestruts 71 arearranged to lie between theshelves 64 and 65 v Referring now tothestructure of each the hinges 68,

leaf 74 thereof is fiat and arranged to be mounted on the under side ofthe shelf '64 with its knuckle portions directed rearward strut ends ofthe members 17 and 18. Flanges 77 and p the details of whichar'edisclosed in Figures 9 and 10, it is'seenthat'one 4 the rails 86. Acleat vided across the front edge of the plate 85 for working surface.WVhil'e of the top 32 may be approached somewhat to permit the aforesaidfolded disposal of the'shel-f 64. It is further seen that the-hingeplates 76 have perforated bosses 79 extending therefrom'to provideanchors for the upper ends of the chains 67.

A sliding drawer 80 is'mou nted on and beneath the shelf 64, said drawerbeing seen to fit between the hinges 68 and to be slid- ;ably-supp'ortedon and between parallel depending plates 81 fixed beneath the'shelf. Asshown in Figure 1, the plates 81 are provided with tongues s'lidablyengaging complementary grooves provided in'the opposed side members 82of the drawer. It is noted that the provision of the drawer 80 beneaththe shelf increases the required forward extension of the hinge leaves75 by the depth of the drawer. I I

Itwill now be noted that the top 32 comprises a plate member 85 mountedon and between side edgelrails '86, said plate being flush with "thesaid rails at its edges thereat.

'Thehinges-atthe front and rear of the board are seen to be secured tothe lower edges of 87 ispreferably proretaining'removalble drawingboards and the like onithe board when the latter slopes. Thenow-described structure of the top 32 is a preferred, though notessential one, and the rails 86 are further utilized in a manner to nowbe described.

As is well known, artists frequently have needof a vertical, orsubstantially vertical.

the desired disposal with the structure here-inbefore described, meansare preferably included with the prese'nt structuretoprovidea'truly'vertical working surface when and as required. Referring"particularly to Figures 12 to 15 inclusive, it is seen that theaforesaid means comprlses an auxiliary board'88 and means for mountingthesame on the top'3-2. Adjacent and about'midway of the side edges ofthe board 88,-said board is provided with a pair of hinge leaves 89having coaxially related knuckles or eyes. The hinge leaves '89 arefixed beneath the board 88, and the eyes thereof are arranged forcoaxial engagement with the eyes of hinge leaves '93, the latter beingof a. special structure. 7

Transverse sockets'or'holes 9-1 are provided 'in th'e rails 86 adjacentthe frontends there'- of, the axes of said sockets being parallel to theplane'of the top 32. The leaves 93 are seen to comprise twoperpendicularly and in tegrally related flat'portions'95 and 96,'withthe leaf portions'95 providing the necessary hinge eyes and arranged'tooverlie the upper top face at opposite side edges thereof. Pro-.jections or bosses 97 extend transversely from the leaf portions 96 atthe same side thereof as do the portion's95, and said bosses arearranged to engage the sockets 94: when the hinge leaves 93 thusmounted, the eyes of cooperating hinge leaves 89 and 93 are arranged forregistration whereby hinge pins 98 may be inserted through the alignedeyes for pinning them together. Since the board 88 is an auxiliaryattachment for the table, place but are rethe pin-s '98 are not fixed inmovable for dismounting the board 88. hen the board is dismounted, thehinge por tion 93 may, of course, be removed without releasing screws orother positively acting fastening means.

Links 101 1 are hingedly mounted on the board 88. above the hinge leaves89, said links being longitudinally slotted for the adjusted receptionof bolts 102 therein, said bolts being mounted in the rails 86 atintermediate oints thereof. As particularly shown, the

olts 102 are of the wagon-bolt type whereby they have a polygonal shankportion adjacent their heads, and said bolts are removably disposed incomplementary perforations 103 through the rails 86 whereby they areheld against rotation, the bolt heads being innermost. The extendingportions of the bolts 102 are disposed through the slots of the links101, and wing-nuts 10 1 are applied to'the outer bolt ends for clampingthe links between themselves and the rails 86. In this manner, the board88 is arranged to be adjustably disposed and fixed at any desired angle,and the use of the mounting means therefore requires only the provisionof the sockets 94 and perforations in the rails 86.

From the foregoing description taken in connection wlth the accompanyingdrawings,

the advantages of the construction and method'of operation will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention*app'ertains, and while I have described the 'principleof operation,together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodimentthereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merelyillustrative, and that such changes may be made. when desired, as fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new anddesire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. In a folding table, a back frame portion including uprightside'members, brackets adjustable'on and along said side members, a topsupported in part on the brackets, a leg pivoted to a said bracket, anda strut hinged to said top and leg to support said top in position foruse.

2. In a folding table, a back frame portion including upright sidemembers, brackets-adjustable onand along said side members, a topsupported .in part on the brackets, legs adjustably engaged with saidpivoted to said brackets, and struts hinged to said top and engageablewith said legs to complete the support of said top in position for theuse thereof.

3. In a folding table, a back frame portion including upright sidemembers, a crossmember securing said side members adjacent the topthereof, and a pane of transparent material mounted on said frame abovesaid crossmember and sloping upwardly and backwardly therefrom toprovide a supporting backing for relatively-flat articles disposed ingenerally upright position thereat- 4. In a folding table, a back frameportion including upright side members, brackets adjustable on and alongsaid side members, a

top hinged to said brackets for support in part I thereon, legs pivotedto said brackets, and

struts pivoted to said topand removably en- I gaged with said legs tocomplete the support of said top, said top and legs and struts beingarranged for disposal in parallel adjacency to said side members withoutdisconnection thereof.

5. In a folding table, a back including upright side members, bracketsad- I constrained to move in a common and predejustable on and alongcorresponding upper portions of said side members, legs pivoted to saidbrackets, and links connectingsaid legs with points on said membersbelow the said brackets whereby the free ends of the legs are terminedplane.

6. In a folding table, an upright back frame'portion including uprightside mem-' bers, brackets vertically adjustable on and including anupright member, a bracket adalong said side members, means for disposingand securing said brackets in a plurality of adjusted positions thereon,a shelf carried horizontally by and between said brackets a top memberhaving the back edge thereo opposite the front edge of said shelf andhingedly carried on said brackets, and means for adjustably supportingthe front edge of said top.

7. In a folding table, a back frame portion justable on and along saidmember, a top supported in part on the bracket, a leg pivoted to saidbracket, and a strut pivotally engaging said top and releasably engagingsaid leg to support said top in position for use.

8. In a folding table, a back frame portion including an upright member,a bracket adjustable on and along an upper portion of said member, a legpivoted to said bracket, and a link connecting said leg with said memberbelow said bracket whereby the lower extremity of the leg is constrainedto movement in a predetermined straight-line path as said leg ispivotally moved.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

KORNELIUS QUIRING.

frame portion I

